Parallel-transmission flat cable equipped with connector unit

Abstract

A parallel-transmission flat cable that is equipped with a connector unit is provided. This parallel-transmission flat cable includes: a parallel-transmission flat cable member that has pairs of signal transmission paths and ground portions that are arranged alternately so as to enable parallel transmission, and has pairs of signal terminal portions and ground terminal portions exposed at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member; and a connector unit forming member that is provided at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member and forms a connector unit that has the signal terminal portions and the ground terminal portions of the parallel-transmission flat cable member serving as terminal portions thereof. In this structure, the connector unit is located at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member.

1. A parallel-transmission flat cable that is equipped with a connector unit comprising:
 a parallel-transmission flat cable member that has pairs of signal transmission paths and ground portions that are arranged alternately so as to enable parallel transmission, and has pairs of signal terminal portions and ground terminal portions exposed at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member; and 
 a connector unit forming member that is provided at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member and forms a connector unit that has the signal terminal portions and the ground terminal portions of the parallel-transmission flat cable member serving as terminal portions, 
 the connector unit being located at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member; and 
 base members are formed integrally with a core part on both sides in said connector unit forming member, and first and second flat cables of said parallel-transmission flat cable member are located between the base members; and 
 guide arms are formed in the base members for guiding connection of said connector unit with a second connector; 
 wherein the guide arms extend from ends of the base members; 
 the parallel-transmission flat cable member has the first flat cable placed onto and bonded to the second flat cable, except at either end, with said terminal portions being formed on an upper surface of either end of the first flat cable and a lower surface of either end of the second flat cable; 
 the connector unit forming member is a plate-like member that is interposed between either end of the first flat cable and the corresponding end of the second flat cable; 
 either end of the first flat cable is fixed onto an upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, while either end of the second flat cable is fixed to a lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 the connector unit is of a plug type, with the terminal portions of the first flat cable being arranged on the upper surface, and the terminal portions of the second flat cable being arranged on the lower surface. 
 
   
   
     2. The parallel-transmission flat cable as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the connector unit forming member has a shallow concave plane portion with an upper surface onto which the corresponding end of the first flat cable is positioned, and also has a shallow concave plane portion with a lower surface to which the corresponding end of the second flat cable is positioned; 
 either end of the first flat cable is accommodated in the shallow concave plane portion on the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, and is bonded and fixed to the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 either end of the second flat cable is accommodated in the shallow concave plane portion on the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, and is bonded and fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member. 
 
   
   
     3. A parallel-transmission flat cable member that constitutes a part of the parallel-transmission flat cable as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising:
 said first flexible flat cable that has ground wires and first signal wires for transmitting positive signals, the ground wires and the first signal wires being alternately arranged in parallel and being provided within an electrically insulating covering body, the ground wires and the first signal wires having end portions at which the covering body is removed on the upper surface side, the exposed end portions of the ground wires forming ground terminal portions, the exposed end portions of the first signal wires forming first signal terminal portions, the ground terminal portions and the first signal terminal portions being alternately arranged; and 
 said second flexible flat cable that has ground wires and second signal wires for transmitting negative signals that are of the same size as the positive signals and are directed in the opposite direction from the positive signals, the ground wires and the second signal wires being alternately arranged in parallel and being provided within an electrically insulating covering body, the ground wires and the second signal wires having end portions at which the covering body is removed on the lower surface side, the exposed end portions of the ground wires forming ground terminal portions, the exposed end portions of the second signal wires forming second signal terminal portions, the ground terminal portions and the second signal terminal portions being alternately arranged; and 
 the first flexible flat cable being placed on the second flexible flat cable, the first flexible flat cable being bonded to the second flexible flat cable, except at both ends. 
 
   
   
     4. A parallel-transmission flexible printed wiring board member that is equipped with a connector unit, comprising:
 a first flexible printed wiring board that has pairs of first signal line patterns for transmitting positive signals and second signal line patterns for transmitting negative signals that are of the same size as the positive signals but are directed in the opposite direction from the positive signals, and linear ground patterns, the pairs of first signal line patterns and second signal line patterns and the linear ground patterns being alternately arranged on the upper surface of a base sheet, ground terminal portions at the ends of the linear ground patterns and first signal terminal portions at the ends of the first signal line patterns being alternately arranged at the end portions of the base sheet; 
 a second flexible printed wiring board that has a plane-type ground pattern formed on the lower surface of a base sheet, ground terminal portions at the ends of the plane-type ground pattern and second signal terminal portions being alternately arranged at the end portions of the base sheet, 
 the first flexible printed wiring board being placed on the second flexible printed wiring board, the first flexible printed wiring board being bonded to the second flexible printed wiring board, except at both ends, the second signal line patterns being conductively connected to the second signal terminal portions, the linear ground patterns being conductively connected to the plane-type ground pattern; and 
 a connector unit forming member that is provided at either end of the parallel-transmission flexible printed wiring board member and forms a connector unit that has the signal terminal portions and the ground terminal portions of the parallel-transmission flat printed wiring board member serving as terminal portions, the connector unit being located at either end of the parallel-transmission flexible printed wiring board member. 
 
   
   
     5. A connector device comprising:
 the parallel-transmission flexible printed wiring board member that is equipped with a connector unit as claimed in  claim 4 ; and 
 a second connector to which the connector unit of the parallel-transmission flexible printed wiring board member is connected. 
 
   
   
     6. A parallel-transmission flat cable that is equipped with a connector unit, comprising:
 a parallel-transmission flat cable member that has pairs of signal transmission paths and ground portions that are arranged alternately so as to enable parallel transmission, and has pairs of signal terminal portions and ground terminal portions exposed at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member; and 
 a connector unit forming member that is provided at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member and forms a connector unit that has the signal terminal portions and the ground terminal portions of the parallel-transmission flat cable member serving as terminal portions, 
 the connector unit being located at either end of the parallel-transmission flat cable member; 
 wherein: 
 the parallel-transmission fiat cable member has a first flat cable placed onto and bonded to a second flat cable, except at either end, with terminal portions being formed on the upper surface of either end of the first flat cable and the lower surface of either end of the second flat cable; 
 the connector unit forming member is a plate-like member that is interposed between either end of the first flat cable and the corresponding end of the second flat cable; 
 either end of the first flat cable is fixed onto the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, while either end of the second flat cable is fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 the connector unit is of a plug type, with the terminal portions of the first flat cable being arranged on the upper surface, and the terminal portions of the second flat cable being arranged on the lower surface; and 
 the connector unit forming member has a shallow concave plane portion with an upper surface onto which the corresponding end of the first flat cable is positioned, and also has a shallow concave plane portion with a lower surface to which the corresponding end of the second flat cable is positioned; 
 either end of the first flat cable is accommodated in the shallow concave plane portion on the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, and is bonded and fixed to the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 either end of the second flat cable is accommodated in the shallow concave plane portion on the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, and is bonded and fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 base members are formed integrally with a core part on both sides in said connector unit forming member, and the first and second flat cables are located between the base members; and 
 guide arms are formed in the base members for guiding connection of said connector unit with a second connector; 
 wherein the guide arms extend from ends of the base members. 
 
   
   
     7. A flat cable comprising:
 a flat cable member that has signal transmission paths arranged in parallel, and has terminal portions exposed at either end; 
 a connector unit forming member that is attached to either end of the flat cable member, and forms a connector unit that shares the terminal portions of the flat cable member, 
 the connector unit being provided at either end of the flat cable member; 
 wherein: 
 the parallel-transmission flat cable member has a first flat cable placed onto and bonded to a second flat cable, except at either end, with terminal portions being formed on the upper surface of either end of the first flat cable and the lower surface of either end of the second flat cable; 
 the connector unit forming member is a plate-like member that is interposed between either end of the first flat cable and the corresponding end of the second flat cable; 
 either end of the first flat cable is fixed onto the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, while either end of the second flat cable is fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 the connector unit is of a plug type, with the terminal portions of the first flat cable being arranged on the upper surface, and the terminal portions of the second flat cable being arranged on the lower surface; and 
 the connector unit forming member has a shallow concave plane portion with an upper surface onto which the corresponding end of the first flat cable is positioned, and also has a shallow concave plane portion with a lower surface to which the corresponding end of the second flat cable is positioned; 
 either end of the first flat cable is accommodated in the shallow concave plane portion on the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, and is bonded and fixed to the upper surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 either end of the second flat cable is accommodated in the shallow concave plane portion on the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member, and is bonded and fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding connector unit forming member; and 
 base members are formed integrally with a core part on both sides in said connector unit forming member, and the first and second flat cables are located between the base members; and 
 guide arms are formed in the base members for guiding connection of said connector unit with a second connector; 
 wherein the guide arms extend from ends of the base members. 
 
   
   
     8. A parallel-transmission flat cable member that constitutes a part of the parallel-transmission flat cable comprising:
 a flat cable member that has signal transmission oaths arranged in parallel, and has terminal portions exposed at either end; 
 a connector unit forming member that is attached to either end of the flat cable member, and forms a connector unit that shares the terminal portions of the flat cable member, 
 the connector unit being provided at either end of the flat cable member; and 
 base members are formed integrally with a core part on both sides in said connector unit forming member, and first and second flat cables of said parallel-transmission flat cable member are located between the base members; and 
 guide arms are formed in the base members for guiding connection of said connector unit with a second connector; 
 wherein the guide arms extend from ends of the base members; 
 said first flexible flat cable that has ground wires and first signal wires for transmitting positive signals, the ground wires and the first signal wires being alternately arranged in parallel and being provided within an electrically insulating covering body, the ground wires and the first signal wires having end portions at which the covering body is removed on the upper surface side, the exposed end portions of the ground wires forming ground terminal portions, the exposed end portions of the first signal wires forming first signal terminal portions, the ground terminal portions and the first signal terminal portions being alternately arranged; 
 said second flexible flat cable that has ground wires and second signal wires for transmitting negative signals that are of the same size as the positive signals and are directed in the opposite direction from the positive signals, the ground wires and the second signal wires being alternately arranged in parallel and being provided within an electrically insulating covering body, the ground wires and the second signal wires having end portions at which the covering body is removed on the lower surface side, the exposed end portions of the ground wires forming ground terminal portions, the exposed end portions of the second signal wires forming second signal terminal portions, the ground terminal portions and the second signal terminal portions being alternately arranged; and 
 the first flexible flat cable being placed on the second flexible flat cable, the first flexible flat cable being bonded to the second flexible flat cable, except at both ends.